


Nothing To Prove

by inkinmyheartandonthepage



Series: We Forgot Peter [25]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Awesome James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Big Brother Peter Parker, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker Has a Bad Day, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Precious Peter Parker, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Protective Tony Stark, Sad Peter Parker, Super hearing, The Avengers are dumb, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Uncle James "Rhodey" Rhodes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:55:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26906977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkinmyheartandonthepage/pseuds/inkinmyheartandonthepage
Summary: Of all the powers that Peter had received from the spider bite, he would have to say that the super hearing was the worst.
Relationships: Peter Parker & James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: We Forgot Peter [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1891810
Comments: 112
Kudos: 1999
Collections: Peter Parker's Tales, The Best Irondad/Spiderson Fics, The Best Peter Parker Whump Fics





	Nothing To Prove

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Guys! 
> 
> Before we get to the good stuff just some house keeping things :) 
> 
> Thank you so much for all the love you are giving this series! You truly are amazing readers!
> 
> At the moment I am not accepting any prompts! This series has taken up a huge chunk of my time and there are other fics I would like to start working on but I can only do so much so something has to go (for the time being). However if you do send a prompt for this, i'll keep it in my files but make no promises that I will get around to it. 
> 
> Second thing - I know that the Avengers happen to be the bad guys in this a lot - I actually do like all the characters. I don't why but as i've written this series they had turned out to be the 'bad' guys.Whoops! But I have love for all the characters so just wanted to you to know that i'm not specifically hating on some characters. 
> 
> This prompt is from Prompt from Cevane 1979 on Ao3: Could you do a really angsty one? Where Peter thinks he’s not good enough. The Avengers have been drinking and decide to do a top 10 countdown of their heroics not knowing Peter’s listening as he’s just come back from patrol. Everyone is mentioned but Peter. Maybe someone pipes up with a save that Peter did but, thinking it was one of them, it gets dismissed. Either way Peter leaves, not taking his suit. 
> 
> Sooooooo I had to change this up a little for it to fit in with the series as the prompt didn't exactly adhere to the idea and I'm sorry but I hate angsty endings so it needed some fluff in there too. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy and apologies for any mistakes

Peter really liked Mr Stark's new house. It was quiet, peaceful and relaxing, not something that Peter would have associated with his mentor, but Peter thought it was good for the man. In the five years that Peter had been gone (and that something that Peter was still struggling to wrap his mind around) his mentor had changed quite a bit. Physically the man had a few more grey hairs then Peter had last remembered seeing and there was little extra padding around his waist, but Peter had seen the emotional change. He was a lot softer than he used to be, a distinct dad vibe coming off the man. 

Which Peter supposed was true since Tony now had a little girl, Morgan, who when she had first seen Peter immediately wrapped him in a hug and declared that she was his little sister. This had nearly knocked Peter off his feet and before he could splutter out a response Tony had said –

“Yep, that’s right Mo. This is your big brother.” 

And had chuckled when Morgan dragged Peter towards the house, excited to show him everything, leaving Peter’s head still spinning a day later. 

Peter adored Morgan. She was bright and clever just like her parents and was a lot of fun and seemed to hang off Peter every chance she got and while he was a little nervous to ask Tony _exactly_ what he had meant, he loved the idea of being a big brother to Morgan. 

  
They had just finished an after dinner swim in the lake (both Peter and Morgan wearing floaties because despite that fact that Peter was Spider-Man, he wasn’t the strongest of swimmers and still needed to have lessons) and Peter was chilling on the deck while Tony took Morgan back to the house to get ready for bed. 

Peter wasn’t the only one at the Lake House, the Avengers all spread around the front lawn in numerous chairs. The team had arrived sporadically across the afternoon, bringing dishes along with them and they ended up having a BBQ for dinner, spread out across the front lawn. It was the first time since the team had been together all again since the battle with Thanos (and the name still sent a shiver down Peter’s spine). Even Carol, whose arm was still in a sling from when she had snapped Thanos and he’s army out of existence, had come. 

Laughter from the lawn had Peter focusing his hearing and dragging his gaze away from the setting sun. 

“Alright, alright, I’ve got a scar to show you,” Clint said. Peter heard rustling, too lazy to turn and watch. “Check this out. Got this one on a mission in Vietnam.” 

“That’s barely a scar,” Sam snorted. 

“Hey! I got this surfing down a landslide,” Clint argued. 

“You guys aren’t going to start sharing war stories, are you?” Bruce asked hesitantly. 

“Great idea Bruce,” Thor boomed. “I can regale you with many tales of my heroic battles.” 

“Mine are classified,” Natasha said, making Peter shiver with excitement. 

“If we are doing this then we should invite Peter,” Carol said. “I’m sure he has some stories too.”

At his name, Peter almost went to turn around but paused when he heard Clint speak up.

“You mean he can tell us about the old ladies he helps cross the road?” 

There was a smattering of laughter and Peter’s heart dropped in his chest. His legs that were dangling in the water still and he stared at his rippling reflection. 

“Junior hasn’t done anything besides Germany,” Sam added. “What could he add?” 

“Peter could add a lot,” Rhodey said sharply. 

Peter’s heart giving a small tumble in his chest.

“Have you forgotten how he webbed you up in Germany?” Rhodey asked coolly. “He’s an enhanced individual with a knack for finding trouble. Peter’s done a lot more than you think.” 

“Your right,” Clint said but Peter could hear the teasing note in his voice. “We forgot that he’s Starks ‘personal intern’. I’m sure he could tell us some wacky stories about what Stark’s made him do.” 

More laughter followed Clint’s words and Peter hunched his shoulders, trying to block them out but it was too late. The laughter and words had already twisted their way into his heart, making his stomach churn and his eyes prick with tears. His insecurities came rushing to the surface, his hands twisting in the old band t-shirt that belonged to Tony. 

“Clint,” Rhodey said firmly. “Stop. Peter has done amazing things, stop belittling that.” 

“It’s just light-hearted teasing,” Wanda said. “It’s not like he can hear us all the way down there.” 

“Yes, he can,” Rhodey said. 

Everyone fell silent and Peter hunched over further when he could feel everyone’s eyes on him. 

“Ah shit,” Clint muttered. “I forgot he had super hearing.” 

Peter didn’t know what to do. He could feel everyone gaze on him, making his skin prickle and the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end. His spider-senses screamed at him to move but a part of Peter was too embarrassed. If he got up, he would have to pass them to get into the house and Peter couldn’t face them, not after what they thought of him. 

Hearing the mechanical whir of Rhodey’s braces, Peter contemplated if he had enough strength to swim across the lake. The floaties he had been wearing with Morgan were only a few feet away and he was sure he could get them on before Rhodey arrived. A wave of embarrassment that he couldn’t _even swim_ properly had a tear rolling down his cheek and kept him firmly planted on the decking. 

The sound of Rhodey’s braces whirred as he crouched down behind Peter, a heavy hand landing on his shoulder and squeezing it tightly. “Don’t listen to those idiots, Peter.” 

“They’re right,” Peter mumbled, another tear slipping down his cheek. 

“No, they’re not,” Rhodey said firmly. “You’ve done incredible things, Peter. You and I both know that. They haven’t seen what you can do.” 

“But –“ Peter tried to protest but Rhodey wasn’t having any of it. 

“No,” Rhodey cut him off. “What you did, staying on that donut ship was beyond brave. Tony told me what you did up there, how _proud_ he was of you. He couldn’t have done any of it without you.” 

“I died though,” Peter whispered heavily. 

Rhodey’s fingers tightened against his shoulder. “That wasn’t your fault, Pete. And from what Tony told me, you fought against it.” 

Peter shivered as he remembered his body feeling weird, the way he had tasted ash in his mouth and then saw his body fading before his eyes. He had tried to stay for Mr. Stark, to not leave him but he had failed anyway. 

“It was the luck of the draw, Pete,” Rhodey continued. “There isn’t anything you could have done against it.” 

“Clint was right,” Peter muttered, his insecurities about not being good enough still overpowering him. “I help people with directions, that’s not very hero-like.” 

Rhodey scoffed. “Do you know how much crime went up in Queens when you were…gone?”

Peter said nothing, staring at his feet where they disappeared into the water. 

“You’ve done a hell of a lot more than you think,” Rhodey said. “So they aren’t big missions like those idiots were bragging about. You look out for the little guy every day. That’s more than they can say. You are a hero; to Queens, to your Aunt, to me, to Tony and to so many more people.”

More tears spilled down Peter’s cheeks at Rhodey’s words, the voices in his head telling him he wasn’t good enough to be Spider-Man starting to quieten down. There was still a lingering sense of unworthiness though, something he had always battled with. 

“I’d rather have _you_ in my corner than any of those guys,” Rhodey continued. 

“Me too.” 

Peter jumped, not even having heard Tony approach the dock. He looked up, eyes wide as he saw Tony hovering behind them, hands shoved into his pocket. His face was soft and open, but Peter’s could see the hidden anger along his tight jaw line. 

Peter scrambled to his feet, biting his lip nervously and tugging at the hem of his shirt. He didn’t want Tony to think him weak and his cheeks flushed red. 

“Everything Rhodey said is true, kid,” Tony said, stepping closer and pulling his hands from his pockets. “and he is the smartest person I know other than you.” 

“But –“ Peter tried to protest again. 

“Come here, kid,” Tony cut him off, pulling Peter into a tight hug. 

  
Peter went willingly, curling up into the warmth that was Tony and inhaling the familiar scent. He buried his face into Tony’s shoulder, arms coming around to wrap around his waist. 

“You’re my hero, Peter,” Tony said firmly. “I know that you’re feeling scared after what happened, we all are. You have nothing to prove to anyone kid. You _are_ a hero. I wish you believed in yourself the way I do.” 

Peter hugged Tony back tightly, heart tripping over the way Tony pressed a firm kiss to the top of his head. 

“I love you, kiddo,” Tony murmured against his curls. “You have no idea how good it is to have you back.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Happy reading :)


End file.
